What Do The Engines Say? 1. Evans' Gambit

MODERN computer programs are revolutionising how we approach openings.

This first became noticeable when supposedly-refuted moves started making a comeback as engines showed resources that had evaded the world's top players.

But more recently, as engines grow in strength, there has been a trend in the opposite direction, at least at the highest level.

Grandmaster Nigel Davies summed this up in a post at chesspublishing.com, where he recounted a conversation with Canadian GM Kevin Spraggett, who "opined to me that ancient openings are making a comeback because engines are finding flaws in the more risky ones."

Davies added: "I think there is a lot of truth in this, which is confirmed by the migration of top players to strictly classical openings."

Engines are still far from the stage of knowing all there is to know about openings.

Their play in that stage of the game is not on a par with their abilities in tactical middlegames.

So we cannot expect engines to tell us move-by-move how to play our favourite opening variations,

But their advice on what we should be looking at - the moves that show the most promise - is certainly well worth considering.

So in this series I will be looking at what the engines say about mainline opening positions, starting with the Evans Gambit.

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Stockfish17 and Dragon1 agree the pawn should be taken (with the bishop).

Position after Black takes the pawn

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Dragon1 reckons White has fair compensation, although it believes White no longer has the advantage that comes with moving first, while Stockfish17 already gives Black a slight edge.

However, the situation is not clear, as is shown by the engines' reaction to White's follow-up, 5.c3.

Stockfish17 recommends looking at 5...Ba5, which is the main continuation in ChessBase's 2025 Mega database, but Dragon1 fluctuates between that and the second-most popular move, 5...Be7.

One thing the engines are agreed on, however, is that 5...Bc5, which used to be touted in books as roughly as good as 5...Ba5 (5...Be7 rarely got a look-in), helps White, with Stockfish17 claiming it leaves White slightly better (Dragon1 is not so sure).